In the shadow inside the bush, where Kendra can't see, red bloody eyes and lips appeared observing the feeble-looking Kendra.
"My dear pupil, what happened to you?"
A chilling feminine voice echoed in Kendra's ears behind her.
Hearing the cold familiar voice, Kendra immediately plastered a polite smile as she turned around, and like what Kendra had predicted, it's indeed Penelope.
"Master? What are you doing here?" Kendra asked politely, but deep inside, Kendra was wary.
Penelope rolled her eyes, getting out of the shadow as she sat next to Kendra. "I came to check how my dear pupil is faring in the competition, and…" Penelope trailed, glancing at Kendra's pale complexion.
Penelope pursed her lips, squinting her eyes, then she sighed in resignation. "I've been worried about your well-being for quite some time now, and I could feel you've been acting off like you're carrying some heavy rock in your heart," Penelope stated with chilling red eyes.
After interacting with Penelope as master and pupil, and based on Kendra's understanding of Penelope during those interactions; Kendra is sure that Penelope is the type to hide her emotions behind anger, viciousness, and coldness.
Right now, Kendra judges that Penelope is probably hiding her worried feelings under the guise of coldness.
Kendra knows this because Penelope is also a lot like her. They are both suspicious of everyone and have severe trust issues. There are also many differences, but the most noticeable ones for Kendra is that Penelope uses coldness and viciousness as a front cover.
Meanwhile, in order to interact with everyone, and to hide her insecurities and weakness; Kendra uses her polite and friendly smile. However, in spite of knowing these things, Kendra still dares not let her guard down in front of Penelope.
"I see, I apologise for troubling you master," Kendra replied apologetically.
Hearing this did not make Penelope feel any better. On the contrary, Penelope felt even worse. Especially seeing Kendra's feeble and delicate appearance.
Penelope squinted her eyes even more. "As your master, it's my responsibility to guide you, but if you wish not to tell me, then that's fine, however…"
Taking a silent deep sigh, Penelope slightly softened her eyes, but it still held a ting of coldness as she continued. "I learned from my master that the responsibility of taking care of a disciple doesn't only lie in teaching them how to be strong and capable. But also to become their pillar of support when they most needed it. And naturally, that became my duty when I took you in as my pupil, Kendra."
Kendra felt warmed in her heart, but she still did not dare let her guard down as she remained polite and amiable.
However, Penelope did not mind as she chuckled a little. "Speaking of master, did you know why I took you in as a pupil?" Penelope questioned, curving her red bloody lips.
Kendra felt curious. "Why? Does it have something to do with your master?"
Penelope nodded her head. "Correct, and my dear pupil, she resembles you a lot. I think both of you are relatives, but I'm not sure. Perhaps the name Agatha rings a bell?"
Kendra furrowed her brows slightly. "Forgive me, but I don't seem to remember anyone from my family with that name, maybe she's someone from my father's relatives. When I was young, I was often told by my father that I resembled so much his late twin sister who had already passed away because of an accident."
"I see," Penelope replied. "I didn't mean to bring back old wounds, that wasn't my intention…"
Kendra shook her head, smiling politely. "It's fine, master."
"Well, anyway, whatever burden it is you have in your heart, just remember that your master is the mysterious dean master Penelope Kingsley. I reckon that thought itself alone is enough to give you courage, I suppose?"
Hearing this made Kendra chuckle, smiling lightly. "That indeed lightened up my mood master, thank you," Kendra replied softly.
Penelope then started materialising a small portal of darkness from the shadow in the bush. Before leaving, Penelope casted a glance at Kendra again. "My dear pupil, I must go back now as I still have a lot of workload that needs to be checked on and done, so I'll be leaving now."
"Then take care master, thank you for your kind encouragement," Kendra uttered in a soft respectful tone.
Penelope nodded as she entered the dark portal, but then she quickly turned around again. "Oh, and by the way, do remember that being capable and strong doesn't equate to working alone. A truly intelligent and capable individual will use all resources necessary to their disposal to achieve an efficient way of success, Kendra. May it be human, monster, object, or environment. However, I think you already know this, but the problem is you refuse to accept it."
Kendra let out a sigh. "Well, you know why master, we're similar in that aspect after all…"
Penelope clicks her tongue, shaking her head. "My dear pupil, I may come off as someone who likes to work alone, but in truth, I could perfectly work with others just like every other normal person does. Otherwise, I will not be able to manage this academy as the dean master."
Kendra pursed her lips, not understanding.
Penelope pursed her lips back, then she sighed. "Let me give you another tip, you don't need to let others know your weakness at all in order to work efficiently with them. Just letting them know what needs to be done and giving them a clear goal is already enough in itself."
Kendra's ocean blue eyes lit up. "Indeed…"
"Well if you understand then that's good, anyway, I'll be going now, my dear pupil," Penelope said, curving her lips to a knowing smile.
Afterwards, the mysterious woman finally disappeared along with her dark portal. Kendra pursed her lips as soon as Penelope disappeared. Kendra has a vague idea on what Penelope is talking about.
In other words, the one thing that she always refused to do is to work with her team. Not just to her team, but also to everyone. Even to her sister Lory.
Kendra has been refusing to work with everyone because she feels frightened. Scared that if she dares to work with others again, then they will die again because of her. Scared that if she works with others, then they will discover her weakness, and that weakness may be used by others.
The only person that Kendra would let team up with her is Nasrin. After all, Nasrin was her nemesis before, and they seem to be on the same side this time, so Kendra felt a little compelled to work with Nasrin. But other than Nasrin, there is no one else.
Kendra sighed silently.
However, hearing what Penelope said, it made Kendra feel a little enlightened. The thing she fears is to let others in and make herself vulnerable.
What she really fears is not teamwork itself. The pressure, about the matter of the cult members and her trauma with fire, clouded Kendra's judgement.
But based on what Penelope said, it made Kendra understand that she had a wrong perspective on teamwork.
In other words, what Kendra needs to do is just control what others may discover about herself. Kendra doesn't need to let them know what was really troubling her.
Kendra just needs to let them know that she needs help in the matter of hunting; in other words, manipulating the lies with the truth. By doing this, it will not only cover up her weakness with her strength, but it would also deceive her enemies.
And however Faye and Emilia or the audience interpret that, Kendra will leave it to their imagination. The important thing is to make everyone think that she is weak against hunting and not fire itself.
In other words, Kendra needs to also fool her friends in order to fool the enemy. Kendra lightly taps her cheeks with her palms, then her eyes narrowed with clarity.
Kendra fixed herself as she plastered a pleasant smile on her face, standing up and walking out of the bush. Her eyes squinted in the distance. Seeing the little fire next to the sleeping red Bellpepper monster; Kendra felt her stomach spinning in circles again.
It seems that it really wouldn't be easy overcoming her trauma in fire within five days. And Kendra doesn't really have the time to waste with these fire type monsters.
"I need to look for those two…" Kendra mumbled to herself, walking away from the sleeping red Bellpepper monster.
Night time came, and the wind blew cold. Crickets singing echoes through the dark, sounding like an invitation and a warning.
Kendra went back to the plain-grass, tracing the trails that both Faye and Emilia left. Seeing that Faye left more obvious trails, Kendra decided to go look for Emilia first instead. Because Emilia's trails of footsteps will fade sooner.
Seeing those marks of footsteps are soon fading; Kendra used wind augmentation magic on her body to make herself run faster.
Kendra only used the same D-tiered wind skill, Fleeting Feet. Because using a middle-tier or high-tier skill might alert the enemies watching her.
In order to make her enemies let their guard down, Kendra needs to keep acting like a weakling to fool and deceive them. By doing so, this will make them let their guard down, thinking of her like an ant that is easy to crush.
Kendra narrowed her eyes as she ran faster through the breezy night.